Saudi woman held for driving car

Saudi police arrested a female activist for driving her car through the streets of a key city in defiance of a long standing ban on women’s driving in the conservative Gulf kingdom.

Police said they were interrogating Manal Al Sharif after she was spotted by many people driving her car through the eastern town of Khobar, prompting friends to gather outside the police centre to demand her immediate release.

“Manal was arrested yesterday (Saturday) for driving her car in the streets of Khobar,” Ajel Arabic language daily said. It noted that Manal is a key figure in a new female group launching a campaign to break a ban on women’s car driving in Saudi Arabia. The campaign, starting on June 17, is titled “I will drive my own car.”

Another Saudi daily carried a film showing Manal driving her car in Khorab as she wore black glasses and a black scarf. “Manal drove her car through Khobar streets in defiance of the kingdom’s social traditions which prevent women from driving.”

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